"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient, Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

Sleep Apnea: Home Testing with WatchPAT Device and the Philips Respironics

Photo: Itamar Medical patient brochure

by Steve S. Ryan, PhD, Updated November 2016

At least 43% of patients with Atrial Fibrillation suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as well.

Sleep Apnea is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. They may occur 30 times or more an hour. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound.

A-Fib anD Risks of Untreated Sleep Apnea

It is now established that there’s a correlation between Sleep Apnea and A-Fib.

If you have untreated Sleep Apnea, you are a greater risk of having a more severe form of A-Fib or of not benefiting from an A-Fib treatment .

NEW! Click for infographic on risks of sleep apnea

For example, after a successful catheter ablation, patients with untreated sleep apnea have a greater chance for recurrence of their A-Fib.

The In-Lab Sleep Study

In the standard lab test for sleep apnea, you go to a hospital-like room, put on cumbersome sensors, then try to go to sleep in this unfamiliar environment. And this test isn’t cheap ($1100-$2,000).

It requires extensive monitoring to measure airflow, chest/abdominal movements, electromyography, electrocardiography, and oxygen saturation levels. The formal name for this test is polysomnography (PSG).

At Home Sleep Tests (HST)

A home sleep test (HST), also called ‘Unattended Sleep Study’, is a sleep study tool that is used for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. Most HST devices are portable —about the size of a telephone handset. A home sleep test is more affordable at $250-$300.

Itamar Medical’s WatchPAT™

Photo: Itamar Medical patient brochure

The WatchPAT is an FDA-approved wrist-worn sleep study device you can use in the comfort of your own bedroom to determine if you have sleep apnea. (PAT is short for Peripheral Arterial Tonometry [pressure measurement].)

It assesses respiratory disturbances and indirectly detects sleep apnea by measuring volume changes in the peripheral arteries along with pulse oximetry (oxygen desaturation) and respiratory arousals. (When you have sleep apnea, your breathing often stops till you have to gasp for breath. This is called “respiratory arousal.”)

Another HST is the Philips Respironics Alice NightOne, an FDA-cleared Type III device. It features a belt that goes around your chest with a nasal cannula (short two-prong nose tube) which you place in your nostrils and a Pulse Oximeter which you wear on your finger. Read more about the Philips Respironic Alice NightOne at SingularSleep.com.

Other HSTs include Ares by Watermark and ResMed’s ApneaLink™ Plus.

How to Choose a Home Sleep Test Provider

According to Dr. Joseph Krainin, founder of SingularSleep.com, it’s important your interpreting physician review the entire record to make sure of the proper diagnosis.

Dr. Joseph Kranin

Insist that your interpreting physician be a fellowship-trained, board certified sleep physician (who has one full year of training in sleep medicine and passed a rigorous national examination).

Before signing up with a HST provider, make sure to ask how long it will take to get results. And if your first encounters with a company’s customer service isn’t first-rate, steer clear of this provider.

What Patients need to know

Everyone with A-Fib should be tested for sleep apnea. It’s now available at a fraction of the cost of an in-lab sleep study ($250-$300 vs. $1100-$2,000). And it’s convenient (especially if being away from home overnight is problematic). Talk to your EP. With OSA home testing now available, there is no excuse for not doing a sleep study.

Disclaimer: the authors of this Web site are not medical doctors and are not affiliated with any medical school or organization. The information on this site is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nothing contained in this service is intended to be for medical diagnosis or treatment.